Home of the Tree Farm
The City of Montesano is centrally located in Grays Harbor County in southwest Washington. Montesano traditionally has been known for its agriculture and logging, but with Montesano’s unique location it has become a destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Residents and visitors can enjoy easy access to premiere Pacific Northwest fishing and boating, as three rivers meet in Montesano, the Wynoochee, the Chehalis and the Satsop.
Anglers throughout the Pacific Northwest are lured to the salmon, steelhead and sturgeon found in the local rivers, and together with Lake Sylvia State Park, which is wholly within Montesano city limits, the area attracts campers, hikers, cyclists and fishermen.
The city of Montesano has a population of approximately 4,000 people in 11 square miles. Downtown embraces visitors with a quaint small-town welcome. The City of Montesano also owns 5,500 acres of Pacific Northwest Forest, providing many outdoor activities.
Over 200 street rods, antiques, muscle cars and special-interest vehicles of all kinds roll into town to show off their cars while supporting local charities, held annually on the 3rd Saturday in July. The show is presented by a group of volunteers and all proceeds are donated to the Montesano Food Bank and several other charitable organizations. It’s free for spectators, and includes a swap meet, vendors, food, door prizes for participants, over 40 awards, tours of the 1911 Grays Harbor County Courthouse, live music, kids' games, and lots more. It concludes with a cruise through Montesano and scenic Lake Sylvia State Park.
Including its 100-year-old clock in its tower, the Grays Harbor County Courthouse is recognized throughout the state for its architecture and detail of the building, but most notably, the building was the site of the Armistice Day Massacre trial, which made news around the world in 1919. Also known as the Armistice Day Riot, the violent and bloody incident that occurred in Centralia, Washington, on November 11, 1919, during a parade celebrating the first anniversary of Armistice Day. The conflict between the American Legion and Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) members resulted in six deaths, others being wounded, multiple prison terms, and an ongoing and especially bitter dispute over the motivations and events that precipitated the event. It was the culmination of years of bad blood between members of the local American Legion and the IWW. Both Centralia and the neighboring town of Chehalis had a large number of World War I veterans, with robust chapters of the Legion and many IWW members, some of whom were also war veterans.
In 2016, Montesano celebrated its 75th anniversary of the American Tree Farm System beginning at the Clemons tree farm. The city continues this tradition by owning and managing its own 5400-acre forest. Its city forester works towards continuing goals for sustainable timber, fish, wildlife and recreation for Montesano. The city forest is home to over 15 miles of interconnected hiking and biking trails.
Montesano is surrounded by farms that grow and produce a wide variety of food crops such as corn, tomatoes, Finnish yellow potatoes, squash, pumpkins, natural raised beef, yak & buffalo, strawberries, blueberries, dairy products like milk, cheese and butter and Christmas trees.